


Things that cannot be unsaid (a balcony to cry on)

by Charcoalhawk



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrian gets a hug, Adrian needs a hug, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gabriel Agreste’s A+ Parenting, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Marinette is ready for Gabriel to have an “accident”, Nathalie you are not helping, Plagg Cares, no beta we die like men, post-reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:27:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23841499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charcoalhawk/pseuds/Charcoalhawk
Summary: “It shouldn’t surprise me at this point,” Gabriel continued, “in these past few years you have made it clear to me that a failure is all you are ever going to be. The only redeeming quality you had was that you could have at least been a decent model, but you are a failure at that too! A disappointment and a failure, it’s no surprise Emilie left if it meant she could be free of the utter fucking failure her pathetic son has become!”////Gabriel takes things a step too far, and Adrian goes to the only place he’s ever felt safe.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 6
Kudos: 198





	Things that cannot be unsaid (a balcony to cry on)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first piece for the Miraculous Ladybug fandom- so I hope you all enjoy!

“Where have you been?” Those four words stopped Adrian cold, foot still half raised to the next step on the winding staircase in the foyer. 

Adrian had finally gotten home after yet another akuma battle, Plagg so exhausted that Adrian had risked walking home rather than overtaxing his kwami. He had desperately hoped that Nathalie would let him get to his room without alerting his father, but it appeared that hope had been in vain. He saw her standing slightly behind his father now, who’s imposing figure stood directly between Adrian and his escape route to his room. 

“I asked you where you have been” Gabriel practically spat, “and I dearly hope you have a satisfactory answer.” 

“There was an akuma attack,” Adrian said after a moment, eyes focused just above his father, “I-”

“That is not good enough!” Gabriel’s voice was loud in the silent foyer, “You were supposed to come directly home after your photoshoot. A photoshoot you apparently never showed up at! Instead you were off with your needless school friends and costing my company hundreds of euros. Nathalie also informed me that you have been giving sub-par performances in all your lessons as well!” His father cast a quick glance at Nathalie who confirmed his statement with a nod, not sparing a glance at Adrian. 

“I’m sorry Father.” Adrian said, voice small. He hated that. He could face down an army of Akuma that could and would kill him and crack jokes. But in front of his father, a man who Adrian could probably toss across the room in his civilian form, he was afraid to even look in the eye. 

“As you should be,” Gabriel replied, turning to give his full (unwanted) attention back to Adrian. “Ever since you went galavanting off to Lycèe you’ve become nothing but a disappointment.” 

Adrien just barely suppressed a flinch at Gabriel’s cutting words. More and more whenever he had the rare chance to see his father, in person or on that damn tablet, it was only so the former could berate Adrian about all his recent failures. 

“It shouldn’t surprise me at this point,” Gabriel continued, “in these past few years you have made it clear to me that a failure is all you are ever going to be. The only redeeming quality you had was that you could have at least been a decent model, but you are a failure at that too! A disappointment and a failure, it’s no surprise Emilie left if it meant she could be free of the utter fucking failure her pathetic son has become!” 

By the end of his tirade Gabriel was practically in Adrian’s face, and in trying to lean back Adrian’s foot slipped and he went crashing down the stairs, limbs flailing as his exhausted reflexes failed to respond. 

At one point in his fall his chin had gotten slammed on the corner of a stair, and by the time he reached the bottom his freshly split lip was already welling up with blood. As Adrian lied there in shock blood slowly dropping onto the cold marble floor, he felt himself begin to tremble. 

Looking up he immediately found his father’s cold eyes regarding him, filled with disappointment and loathing. Not a hint of remorse or kindness was left in his father's steely gaze, and when he turned slightly he saw that Nathalie held a similar expression. 

“Pathetic,” was all his father said, and suddenly Adrian needed to get out. 

With unquardenated limbs Adrian got slowly to his feet, chest heaving as his throat got tight and tears gathered in his eyes. There was only one place he could think to go at a moment like this, and for the millionth time he was so, so very grateful that he and ladybug had revealed their identities to each other months ago.

With one last glance at Gabriel, his father, Adrian turned-tail and fled out the door. 

////

“...What have I done?” Gabriel’s voice shook once the sound of footsteps and slamming doors had faded, leaving the Agreste Mansion in horrified silence.

“Sir…” Nathalie couldn’t think of anything to say, still shocked by her own actions as well. “Let… let Adrian go for now. Going after him will only lead to you both saying more things you regret. For now we should look back over the potential Akuma plans we were talking about last week.”

“Yes, I um, you are correct Nathalie. Let’s head up to-” Gabriel cut off with a hiss, hand reaching up to clutch his tie, under which the Butterfly miraculous was practically scorching him.

“It’s, it must be Adrian. I should…” He shared a glance with Nathalie before slowly lowering his hand. “Let's go over those potential Akuma, Nooroo is too exhausted to make another tonight.” 

“As you wish sir.” Nathalie replied softly, and together they made their way up to Gabriel’s office to plan. Besides, once they succeeded everything would be set back to the way it was supposed to be. 

//// 

Ka-thump!

Marinette jolted upright from her uncomfortable position face-down on the desk in front of her computer, sending her abandoned homework fluttering to the floor as she brushed loose hair out of her face. She had spent the past half hour unsuccessfully trying to solve the first question on her physics homework, and had been in the process of falling asleep when the sudden sound from her balcony put her on high alert. She threw a quick glance to Tikki, who was sitting up tiredly from her little nest, half eaten cookie lying forgotten. 

It had been a rough week. In total there had been twelve Akuma that had all taken at least two lucky charms and more than a few cataclysm’s to defeat, and each and every one had managed to land at least one devastating hit to both Ladybug and Chat Noir. They had just fought the last one no more than two hours ago, and she and Chat had practically collapsed onto each other when they had finally defeated it. 

As she moved up to her bed Tikki flew and settled on her shoulder, half hidden in Marinette’s hair. “If this is another akuma,” Marinette muttered, “Hawkmoth needs a better freaking hobby.” 

She paused before she opened her skylight, listening for any clues as to what out there, but besides the murmur of a passing car the streets were quiet. Marinette quietly pushed open the skylight, poking her head out while still making it so that she could slam it shut should something jump at her.

When nothing happened for several seconds Marinette had almost convinced herself that whatever it was had been a figment of her exhausted mind when the muffled sounds of sobbing reached her ears. 

Alarmed Marinette pushed herself fully up onto her balcony and just about screamed at the sight that greeted her; Illuminated by the fairy lights she often forgot to turn off, Adrian Agreste was curled up in the smallest ball possible where railing met brick, sobbing into his hands as  
Plagg hovered directly in front of him, trying to comfort him however he could.

“Plagg? Why- what happened?” Tikki’s high voice was shrill in Marinette’s ear, and caused the ting god to tiredly turn towards the two. 

“Hey Sugarcube,” Plagg greated quietly, his sharp green eyes glanced quickly back at Adrian before he turned to address Marinette. “Wish we could meet again under better circumstances little bug- could you come help me out here? I’ll tell you everything you want to know while you get my Kit calmed down.”

Marinette gave a shaky nod in reply and slowly scooted over to where her partner was, stopping an arms length away as she took a moment to really see him. “What, what happened Plagg?” she repeated Tikki’s earlier question, slowly reaching one hand out but stopping abruptly when Adrian flinched from the motion. Seeing as her partner usually relished in any kind of physical contact, this further proved to Marinette that something was very wrong. 

“His father is what happened,” Plagg said with disgust, “said a bunch of shitty things to my kit about how he’s a ‘disappointment’ and basically said that it was Adrian’s fault that his mom left!” By the end of it Plagg was fliting about like he was just holding himself back from rushing to the Agreste Manor and cataclysming Gabriel himself.

“Oh minou-” Marinette’s heart broke for her partner, and with slow movements she reached out once more and slowly and gently pulled Adrian’s hands down so she could properly see his face. The puffy, red-rimmed eyes and tear tracks she sadly expected, but the blood on his chin and hands was not. A split lip was still slowly oozing blood and several of his nails had been chipped and torn, prompting Marinette to once again look to Plagg for answers. 

“Asshole practically pushed him down the stairs,” was Plaggs angry reply, “And when he ran over here he didn't bother to transform so he hurt himself climbing up here.” By the end of Plagg’s explanation Adrian was finally starting to come back to himself, and Marinette moved so she was sitting more comfortably in front of him, Tikki perched once again on her shoulder and Plagg going to curl up in Adrian’s messy hair. 

“Hey kitty,” Marinette greeted softly, and as Adrian’s eyes slowly focused on her she continued in a low, calm tone, “gave me a bit of a scare there.” Suddenly she had an arm full of shaking Chat as her partner tried to burrow himself deeper into her shoulder. 

“M’lady- Mari, I oh I couldn’t-” his voice broke off as he cried harder, “h-he said, he said I was a d- he said my mom-!” 

“I know Kitten, I know. And you have to know that everything he said was a lie minou. You're not a disappointment to anyone. Without you I wouldn't be half the ladybug I could be,” she continued to soothe while rubbing small circles in his back. 

“Let’s go sit somewhere a bit more comfortable, eh Chatton? I don't know about you but after that last Akuma sitting on the floor is probably the last thing I want to do.” She got a choked laugh in response, which Marinette considered it a win.

After a while and some careful maneuvering they were mostly settled on the small couch Marinette had moved out to her balcony after one too many nightly chats ended up with her and Adrian sprawled uncomfortably against the wall of her balcony. Adrian’s sobbs had dwindled down to the occasional sniffle as the four of them sat quietly and watched the darkening sky. 

“Feel a bit better now?” Marinette eventually asked, shifting so she could look her exhausted partner in the eye. 

“Yes, No, I just- kinda just feel empty,” Adrian admitted, reaching up to rub at his eyes and accidently smearing some of the mostly dried blood on his chin.

“Ok, well for now let's head inside so we can change and clean that blood off. in the morning we can talk with Mamam and papa and we'll go from there. There's no need to try and sort it all out now. Besides, I think my papa has some leftover Camembert from some danishes he was testing out.”

At the mention of cheese Plagg perked up slightly, and with a soft glance at Adrian he dragged Tikki along with him to help on his quest.

After a quick shared smile Adrian and Marinette slowly followed their kwami, supporting each other as they prepared to face their next challenge. 

Because they were marinette and Adrian, but more importantly they were ladybug and chat noir. No matter the challenges they would face they would overcome them.

It was them against the world. Together.


End file.
